Exhibit 31.1

I, Tony J. Sorcic, certify that:

|1. |  | I
have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Princeton National Bancorp, Inc.;
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|2. |  | Based
on my  knowledge,  this report does not contain any untrue  statement of a material  fact
or omit to state a material          fact  necessary to make the  statements  made, in
light of the  circumstances  under which such  statements  were made, not
         misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
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|3. |  | Based
on my knowledge,  the financial  statements,  and other financial information included in
this report, fairly present          in all material  respects the financial  condition,
 results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for,          the
periods presented in this report;
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|4. |  | The
registrants  other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and
maintaining  disclosure  controls and          procedures (as defined in Exchange Act
Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:
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| | a) |  | designed
 such  disclosure  controls and  procedures,  or caused such  disclosure  controls and
 procedures  to be                   designed under our  supervision,  to ensure that
material  information  relating to the registrant,  including its
                  consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those
entities,  particularly during the period in                   which this report is being
prepared;
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| | b) |  | Evaluated
the  effectiveness of the registrants  disclosure  controls and procedures and presented
in this report                   our conclusions  about the  effectiveness of the
disclosure  controls and procedures,  as of the end of the period
                  covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
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| | c) |  | Disclosed
in this report any change in the registrants  internal  control over financial
 reporting that occurred                   during the  registrants  most recent fiscal
 quarter (the  registrants  fourth fiscal  quarter in the case of an
                  annual  report) that has materially  affected,  or is reasonably
 likely to materially  affect,  the  registrants                   internal control over
financial reporting; and
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|5. |  | The
registrants  other certifying  officer and I have disclosed,  based on our most recent
 evaluation of internal control          over financial reporting, to the registrants
auditors and the audit committee of the registrants board of directors:
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| | a) |  | all
 significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in the design or  operation  of
internal  control  over                   financial reporting which are reasonably likely
to adversely affect the registrants  ability to record,  process,
                  summarize and report financial information; and
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| | b) |  | any
fraud,  whether or not material,  that involves  management or other employees who have a
significant  role in                   the registrants internal control over financial
reporting.
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/s/ __Tony J. Sorcic_____________________________________________ Tony J. Sorcic President & Chief Executive Officer

November 7, 2003

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